The Quiver 4 Change of Taste

Wednesday, 16 August 2017

FROM THE ARCHIVE: GRACE: PURPOSE AND ABUSE //BY: NEJO HARRISON

Vol. 17.8.30

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Definition: Grace simply is the undeserving favor of God to mankind. The New Testament described it with the word Charis, which expresses favor, goodwill and loving kindness granted by a superior to another. GRACE IS NOT EARNED, not a reward for work done. The first man the bible recorded to obtain favor was Noah... But Noah found grace (favor) in the sight of the Lord (Genesis 6:8 AMP); then Moses. In these two accounts, grace qualified them to do certain functions they naturally would not be able to. Moses was slow in speech, which automatically was not good for him to stand before Pharaoh, he also was a murderer, yet He was God's choice.

TYPES OF GRACE

There are two dimensions of grace I have discovered so far:

1. Saving Grace: This dimension of grace helps the unbeliever to come to Christ and become saved from hell and born into the kingdom of God. We must know there are some who wish they were saved, but still have not found the grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Our coming to Christ was by God, not because you were born into a Christian family.

2. Enabling Grace: This grace supplies the ability to live Christ honoring life. Living above sin is enabled by this grace. ‘But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses’ (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). It empowers us to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and act according to His will and also helps us to fulfill our various callings and purpose. It sustains us and equips us to walk in a manner that pleases God and develop into the image of Christ.

Without grace, no one can be saved, without grace, no one can stay saved and without grace, no one can grow as a Christian. Grace is the oxygen that the Christian needs to breathe.

Halleluiah

THE LAW AND GRACE, RELATIONSHIP AND DIFFERENCES

It is important we know that there are seven dispensations of the Bible also called Bible ages, characterized by changes in God's methods, relationship and dealings with mankind in relation to sin and man's responsibilities

These include:

Dispensation of innocence: from the creation of Adam (Genesis 2:7) to expulsion from Eden (Genesis 3:26)
Conscience: The eyes of man had been opened to the knowledge of good and bad, so conscience was the basis for judging man's behavior. This dispensation existed till the great flood (Genesis 7:11-23)
Man in authority: Began with the eight that survived the flood and elapsed till the confusion of languages (Genesis 11:1-9)
Dispensation of promise: from the call of Abram (Genesis 12:1-3) to the slavery of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 1:13-14).
Dispensation of Law: From wilderness experience (Exodus 24) to the death of Christ (Matthew 28:50-51)
Age of Grace: from Jesus' death to His return to take the Saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
Millennium dispensation: between the reign of Christ over restored church for a thousand year and Satan wages against the Lord, this ends the seven ages (Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 11, Revelation 20:1-4) and this leads to the great judgement, the great white throne.

The last three are of significance to this study...

Law-Grace-Millennium...

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAW AND GRACE.

Law was given through Moses, but Grace through Jesus Christ, we have to know that Mosaic LAW WAS GOOD... Romans 7:12. The law is holy, and so is the commandment holy, righteous and true, the Bible never showed the superiority of grace by negating the law. NO, they both are good enough to make the complete bible as both the old promises and new promises are relevant and applicable to our life today. Jesus speaking said, I never came to abolish the law, as many do today, BUT TO FULFIL IT. (Matthew 5:17). Jesus never elevated grace stepping on the law.

Scriptures states emphatically, THE LAW Is GOOD. (Romans 7:7)

The law tells us what to do, how to do it, the consequence for refusal, what God required of them, but was weak in that it does not empower man to achieve all these (Robert R. Kreger), it was also weak because it does not give much room for repentance and quick to pronounce judgement, so that called for a more superior one, Grace, which comes with the enabling power to fulfilling the law.

PURPOSE.

GOD'S GRACE IS INTENDED TO HELP US OUT OF SIN

With this in mind, God's grace is sufficient for us, everything necessary for us to live a pleasing and acceptable life to God is grace-packaged. God's grace is the means by which God reaches His loving hands to humanity to save them out of their sins and help them walk with Him only if they are willing to reach out their hands back to Him through faith in the Lord Jesus.

Peter three times denied Jesus, this looks worse compared to Judas' betrayal which was only once. But Peter found grace, while Judas was not accommodated to repent. Peter's repentance was so genuine that it was expressed with a cry. Peter repented and felt sorry, you see that grace does not glory in sin, rather, it helps us and accommodates us to repent.

Paul speaking in vs 9 of 2 Corinthians 12 NIV, saying, ‘But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses’ He had prayed to God between vs 4-8 that God would deliver him from the consuming messenger of Satan (Pride), ‘To keep me from becoming conceited because if these surpassingly great revelations’ (2 Corinthians 12:7), he prayed for help, so God's grace was said to be available to help him,

By this we know that grace is God's provision to reconcile man to Himself. Sin does not dis-communicate one from the family of God immediately, but we lose our relationship with God, His Communion is deterred and a point comes when we lose our salvation completely. Yes it is possible. Demas was a beloved in Colossians 4:14, but in 2 Timothy 4:10, he had returned back to the world for the love of the world. Judas was one of the twelve but the love of money made him lose out. God instituted grace to help us from sin, it is therefore an abuse of grace to believe ‘once saved, is forever saved’; we have seen bible examples of how people through grace, help of Holy Spirit and conscious effort were able to work out their walk with God.

So we are asked to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12), it is conscious exercise with the provision of grace and the Spirit of God.

GRACE IS FREE BUT COST MUCH AND Hence, NOT CHEAP

That you were given a wristwatch free as a gift, does not imply that it was cheap, the giver might have purchased it with his hard earned money. Grace came to us free, but someone paid for it with his blood-his life (Leviticus 17:14). God went extremely, sending his beloved son to die a miserable death to take the penalties law could have condemned us to, Christ death shows how severe our penalties could have been. Grace was purchased for us free, we therefore should live a life that will demonstrate our gratitude to God and Jesus Christ not taking grace as a license to careless living. Whoever misuses grace will soon get to know it cost much after the expiration of grace dispensation by rapture or death and men pay for their life severely with their own blood. Many would wish they lived in the age of the law, where sin was addressed sin.

CONCLUSION.

Imagine then, the deep sorrow on the heart of God who lavishly poured His love out on us, only to have His people turn it to the very opposite of its intended purpose, rather than being a liberty and escape from sin, it became instead, a license to sin. The grace of God is so precious, therefore should not be abused, with the sense of falsely believing God is loose on his verdict concerning how we live our life regardless of our bold unwillingness to repent.

Remember He is still the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). The loving father and the consuming fire.

Except otherwise stated, all scriptures quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.

GOD BLESS YOU

Author

Nejo Harrison

harrisonnejo@gmail.com

To be a part of The Change of Taste Group, kindly contact any of the numbers: +2348067619381, +2348130299558, +2348165162581, +2349169097722, and 2348183650210. Email enquiries to thequiver4changeoftaste@gmail.com

If you are inspired by the Holy Spirit to reach out and affect many souls through writing, send your articles to thequiver4changeoftaste@gmail.com and we will help you spread it across the world audience. God bless you as you choose to impact lives.

Disclaimer: The author claims full responsibility of the originality of this article

Thursday, 13 July 2017

NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE WHO REMAINED IN CHRIST //BY: YUSUF GBENGA AYODELE

Vol. 17.7.29

Romans 8:1(KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

This particular scripture have been used by many believers in various ways.

Apostle Paul spoke,” there is therefore now” which means at this present time. The now there signifies present tense, not what has happened before neither what will still happen. The point of emphasis is ”Now”. The now there means as we speak (the current position of the believer). As we try to shed more light on the now there, we must understand the fact that previous commitment is not what is being sought out here. He is a believer but the question is who is He now as we speak? He used to be fervent but what has become of him now? Is he still what he used to be?

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”… it is certain that there is no condemnation to anybody in is in Christ and he/she allow his/her actions to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. The seed of Christ is resident in the one that is in Christ. Being in Christ is a present tense which means as at the point that the believer is in Christ, there is no condemnation for him/her because his/her is governed by Christ.

As we move forward in the discus, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh.” To me, this now means to remain is Christ is a choice which a believer will have to make himself/herself. A man that is in Christ does not walk in flesh surely There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh Romans 8:14 (KJV) ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” The proof that we have that we are in Christ is if we are not walking after the flesh. This portion suggests that a man can actually be in Christ before and suddenly make a choice of not remaining in Him anymore. Man is not held bound because he has choice to make per time. We must note that the ultimate sacrifice to keep us forever in Christ has been paid and has been given to all those that have surrendered to Him but it is now a choice to make whether to retain it or discard it. A precious thing can be given to several people but it is not everybody that will guard it jealously. When a man embraces flesh, he is exchanging what he has received to keep in Christ for another thing.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The last phrase “but after the Spirit” is now what will qualify the first which says There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. A man/woman that will not be condemned has he/her part to play and as such one must not trivialize the statement that as long as one have once known Christ, He/she cannot be condemned. He/she can be condemned if he chooses not to remain in Christ anymore.

Let’s do all we can to preserve the seed that has been planted in us. It is then that the book of 1 John 3:9 (KJV) ‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God’.

In conclusion, it is in allowing the seed of God to remain in you that you will not be condemned. Being in Christ far beyond saying I have confessed Him as my Lord and saviour but being in Him is walking in His ways. Let’s occupy at our various duty post day by day and always follow the directions of the spirit of God and it is only in that that flesh will not dominate us. Stay absolutely connected to Jesus

Yours in the Lord,

Yusuf Gbenga Ayodele

gtyodele@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The author claims full responsibility of the originality of this article

Thursday, 15 June 2017

CHRISTIANS AS SALT //BY: AJAYI OMOTOLA

Vol. 17.6.28

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Mark 9:50b (NLT); You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.

Jesus was the one speaking in the above Scripture with His disciples and I feel it is important we take a look at this statement because He really meant what he said.

QUALITIES OF SALT
1) Salt mixes and interacts with its environment; salt penetrates into and interacts with what it’s meant to change. In food for example, it penetrates in order to add flavor or preserve the food. As Christians, we too need to interact and permeate into the midst of whatever we are trying to change and influence. Be influential!

2) Salt promotes healing; Salt has antiseptic, bactericidal and antiinflammatory properties. It's been used for centuries and is still being used (in form of saline) to cleanse wounds and speed up healing. Just as salt aids healing, God's word takes away pain and brings new life. Hence, we need to take God's word to people to help alleviate pain in their lives and help them heal in areas where they are broken. Also, we should do this in our words, actions and lifestyle.

3) Salt is sloughing and exfoliating; Salt is used to scrub and slough off dry, dead skin cells. It helps to make skin smooth and soft again. As Christians, we are to be a salt that scrubs and sloughs off the rough edges of people (Iron sharpens Iron, (Prov. 27:17). We can soften people; we can have a positive influence on hardhearted people and eventually water them down with love and kindness. Be kind!

4) Salt stings but also soothes; when an open wound is exposed to salt, it stings. The interesting thing is that, though salt stings, after some time, the pain is eased and soothed by that same salt exposure. What has happened is that salt hurts a wound in order to help it get better. Also as Christians, sometimes we have to sting people's conscious. Sometimes we have to be convicted in order to be corrected. Don't be rigid!

5) Salt acts as a fertilizer to make things grow; Studies shows that adding of either Epsom salt or sea salt help plants to produce more fruit. As Christians, we are to help those around us grow and produce "fruit" in their lives. Be fruitful!

6) Salt acts as a preservative; In the above scripture we are considering, Jesus told His disciples according to the message, preserve yourselves. Preserve Peace.

Oh my beloved! This really struck my heart and decided to share. Let's not be lazy Christians. God demands more from us. Let's arise and shine because this is what we are called for. May the Lord show us His mercy and Open our eyes and minds of Understanding in Jesus name. Amen
Shalom!

Author

Ajayi Omolola

ajayiomotola29@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The author claims full responsibility of the originality of this article

Thursday, 18 May 2017

#HYMNALLY: FLOW WITH THE TIDE OF GOD // BY: OGUNSUYI OPEYEMI

Vol. 17.5.27

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1. There are times when all seams vague
The times when all not clear
Such times when all seams not too well
Just flow with the tide of God

Chorus:
Just flow with the tide of God (2x)
When all seems so blink and
Confusion seams to set in
Just flow with the tide of God

2. Just flow with the tide of God
You can be sure it will take to safety
In the midst of life swallowing waves
I will flow with the tide of God

3. 3 I will flow with the tide of God
Its the surest current in which I trust
When life's compass seams lost and nothing is clear
Brother flow with the tide of God

4 Brother flow with the tide of God

Sister flow with the tide of God
Life is full of confusion and not a man you can trust
Flow with the tide of God

5. Just flow with the tide of God
Wherever it takes you
However it swings you
Safety to destination is sure
Just flow with the tide of God

Selah!

Author

Ogunsuyi Opeyemi

opeyemiogunsuyi@gmail.com

Editor-in-Chief

The Quiver

Saturday, 15 April 2017

LIVING BREAD - SERIES 2 //BY: NEJO HARRISON LEVELS OF PRAYER

Vol. 17.4.26

credit:Google.com

Mathew. 7. 8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. - Bible Offline

ASKING PRAYER.

Asking prayer means to inquire, to make demands, to receive. This level of prayer is for those who just appear before the Father when they have needs. They are getters, they are those who see prayer as a means of submitting their numerous list of needs. They are easily frustrated when there's delay in answer in respect to their request. Asking prayer is for ‘babies in Christ’ who ask and ask and ask. You often see them in prayer meetings, the only time they appear before God is when they are in need of something. They see God as a giver and they are the type you see on December 31^st. The Bible says, it is more blessed to give than to receive, but these people are receivers only. However, because of the faithfulness and love of God towards men, He gives them when certain conditions are met. Jesus placed a low level of importance on this prayer; if the only time God sees your face in His presence is only when in need, you need to step up to the next phase of prayer.

SEEKING PRAYER

And He That Seeks Find. Finds what? I once read Tommy Teeny’s book titled: 'Prayer of a GOD CHASER'- Who is a God chaser? A God chaser is a God getter, seeking God when He can be found. This talks about time, I have discovered there are two best times to find God according to the bible, early in the morning and in the cool of the day. This is a level of prayer for those who are hungry for God. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for righteousness..... THEY SHALL BE FED, those who will not be stopped or stop at nothing until they come into fellowship with God. Those who will give it all it takes to be in the circumference of His presence. Those consumed with burning hunger and dry thirst for God, those that have transcended from getting the GIFT to getting the GIVER. Those who do not see prayer as a medium to submit their endless list of request but a way of honoring divine call to fellowship. Call to the father of Lord Jesus Christ, the father of Glory, to the enumerable company of angels. The heavenly Jerusalem, the same place Moses entered and communed with God forty days and forty night; the ‘askers’ (the crowd) were at the base of the mountain , but the ‘seeker’ (Moses) was called up to the mountain, in the smoke where God is. Those askers had to wait until the seeker came back with results. I wish your prayer henceforth will be ‘Lord I no longer want to appear before you all because of the gifts you have to offer me but because there is a need for me to fellowship with you (God)’.

I feel the urge to talk about this a little more. For one who wants to know the original plan of God for man, let him go to the book of Genesis. We were never created to be askers but for fellowship. God told me something, He said ‘I did not call man up for fellowship, but I God came down to man to fellowship with him. God came in company of His angels to the garden to FELLOWSHIP with man. When we lost it, we became askers. We became short of that glory. How many of us know that the commandment of God that the day man eat of the forbidden fruit HE SHALL DIE is not about physical death, but it is ‘A SEPARATION FROM GOD’? Man became separated. God never came down to him anymore but thank God redemption restored the fellowship, then we have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, be with you all.

It is a kind of prayer in which we appears before God in ministering to Him. We read in our Bible that the apostles were ministering to God, singing praises, worshipping him, forgetting their many problems, enjoying the communion and God asks, son, daughter, ooh! You are here what can I do for you? You replied, father, I just came to worship you, to tell you how wonderful you are and He says, OK, I also have some wonderful packages for you when going; these when opened, is multiple fold of what your brain could have ever asked in prayer.

For further study on SEEKING PRAYER, read Psalms 42:1 and Jeremiah 29:12-13

KNOCKING PRAYER

This prayer means praying out our burden. This directly addresses the matter of PRAYING EFFECTIVELY and PRAYING EARNESTLY. The most important ones or the highest order of levels of prayer is KNOCKING PRAYER. Going back to our text in Matthew 7:7 and verse 8, ‘for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened’. And to everyone that KNOCKS, IT SHALL BE OPENED, What shall be opened? Doors and/or windows. I will use the phrase ‘knocking prayer’ and ‘earnest prayer’ interchangeably. Sometimes, I have had to leave what I was doing and RUN to my gate to see who was knocking. I mean I RAN not walk especially when you have some impatient visitors at your gate who came knocking tirelessly. No man feels comfortable under a pressing and persistent knock on the door, you cannot try to pretend it is not affecting you. You cannot pretend to be having a nice sleep when someone is banging hard on your door.

Knocking prayer will cause God and arise and even His angels to rush down when someone rightfully applies it, Jesus explained this with a parable to show how significant it is.

Luke 11:5-8

5. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6. For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8. I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. - Bible Offline.

From the above passage, it’s a question and answer

He goes to his friend at what hour of the day? Midnight hour talks about a time of Rest

Remember, Jesus said the day is for work, the NIGHT COMES WHEN NO MAN SHALL BE ABLE TO WORK. That same hour when no man should work was when the man came. He was not qualified for attention. Now, what was his request? Loaves of bread. Was his request genuine? Yes.

But his time of request. Was it right? NO. We know that when a good thing is done wrongly, it automatically becomes wrong. What was d normal answer the man should give him, I mean the owner of the house, according to the text? It is late, Heaven has closed, Angels are resting, and Gabriel is snoring. He worked all day, everywhere is shut down. I CANNOT RISE UP AND GIVE THEE. Let's read verse 8 now, I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. - Bible Offline.

Look at it closely, I love the first sentence. Though he will not rise up because of friendship, that they are friends is not going to make him stand up, it is not only to be a friend of God as far as this matter is concerned. Then what will dis man consider? Look at how this version puts it, ‘I tell you this--though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence’ (Holman Christian Standard Bible). I love my bible than any other book in the world. No book is as interesting as it.

I tell you, even though he won't get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend's persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

He now says, but because of HIS PERSISTENCE

He keeps knocking and knocking to the point he becomes a disturbance, and God says, come, if we do not answer this guy, we will have no attention to attend to other matters. Please, what exactly does he need? -because of his continuous, tireless and persistent knocking, God will have to respond. We need to see what Gods response will be like, He will give him AS MANY AS HE NEEDS.

I am talking about a generation of people that will not give up praying until so meting happens, until heaven responds, men that will not lift their head until God says, sit, eat and cheer up, the answer is here. Men that will wrestle with God all night until there is a question of TELL ME YOUR NAME. Men that will press hard on heaven door until the anointing is poured out, that will hold the peace in heaven until there is a physical manifestation of God's response on the earth. Praying hard until something happens, knocking hard until God sees your determination. Banging hard until God comes and respond to your call. EARNEST KNOCKING PROVOKES OPENING OF HEAVEN DOORS. Everybody prays but only a few pray earnestly. Some give up at the verge of God's response, some allow heaven to rest with their 'If it is thy will' prayer. I tell you today, if you need healing, it is the will of God, knock for it, you need prosperity, it is His will knock for it, don’t stop praying and believing God until it becomes evident in your life.

Luke: 22. 44. ‘And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground’. - Bible Offline.

He prayed MORE EARNESTLY being in agony, MORE EARNESTLY, MORE INTENSELY. He intensified the knock, the more the agony, the more he prayed.

Elijah stilled not only rainfall, but DEW also. I tell you that was the power of an earnest prayer.

1 kings 17 only tells us Elijah said by my word but by revelation, God revealed in James that Elijah did not just achieve that by mere saying but He prayed EARNESTLY THAT THERE BE NO RAIN AND HE PRAYED AGAIN AND RAIN FELL. James: 5. 17. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. - Bible Offline.

Happy Easter

Author

Harrison Nejo

harrisonnejo@gmail.com

Friday, 17 February 2017

CHANGE OF TASTE @ 3: Next Level Calls

Vol. 17.1.25

Credit:google.com

Three years ago, God sowed a seed of worldwide networking of souls for the soul purpose of intercession. The Change of Taste Group (COT) started as a tiny inconsequential group of people but today, we bless God that we are growing into mighty trees that provides shade unto weary souls. Glory be to God for we have not yet lost sight on the important vision of interceding for missionaries across the world as well as for peace and righteousness in our land. Indeed we are growing; from a small cluster of less than twenty to an army of up to three scores. Nevertheless, we still welcome more to join the business of intercessory prayers. Indeed God has been so faithful, for through COT we are exposed to new teaching in His word as the Holy Spirit helps us through the social media platform.

Mission work they say involves the goers (active missionaries on the field), the groaners (the intercessors) and the givers (the cheerful sowers). Our vision at COT encompasses both groaners and givers. While we have striven by God's grace to dutifully engage in groaning for these three years, duty calls to the next level of giving. By God's grace, we now have COT mission support fund, an avenue to sow into mission works; God loves a cheerful giver and seed time and harvest time shall not cease for when you give it shall be given unto you in good measures.

Let me use this opportunity to appreciate all members of COT group for their labor of love. God, the rewarder will bless you mightily. Nonetheless, much still needs to be done for these are perilous times with so many persecutions going on. Indeed it’s a busy season for missionaries as the harvest is in top gear for the master is near. Therefore, they need our prayer more than before and much more now they need our seed of support. To all administrators of the group, God bless you mightily. At the end I hope we can say as Apostle Paul that we have fought the good fight and kept the faith.

Ogunsuyi Opeyemi B.

Coordinator

The Change of Taste Group